Concrete



s. ccwosmous,

comma on PLASTIC 9 8 Patented July 22, 1941 cla 7? UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CONCRETE John S. Nelles, Detroit, Mich., assignor to The Detroit Edison Company, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of New York No Drawing. Application September 2, 1939, Serial No. 293,303

11 Claims.

crushedfrock' of various types, and products of various types of combustion such as slag and cin; ders. The function of the coarse aggregate in the concrete is to lend bulk and strength at an expense less than that of the cement and fine aggregates, and also to reduce the overall shrinkage induced by the shrinkage of the cement upon setting.

The function of the fine ag regate, generally speaking, is to form, with the cement and water, a mortar or matrix which will support the coarse aggregate in suspension after the mixing operation. It will be understood that, immediately after the concrete has been poured, the denser particles of the coarse aggregate tend to settle towards the bottom of the matrix and it frequently happens that the lighter bonding matrix fails to follow the coarse particles downwardly. This results in an undue concentration of the aggregate near the bottom of the forms in which the concrete has been poured and likewise often causes the bonding matrix to fail to make adequate bond with all surfaces of the coarse aggregate particles so that the actual strength of the concrete mixture is less than the designed strength. It is important therefore to have a matrix of a suiilcient fluidity to facilitate pouring but which also is sufliciently viscous so that the segregation of the coarse aggregate is prevented and a satisfactory bond is made with all sides of the particles of the coarse aggregate.

gm has been the material most commonly udas"a fine aggregate. It is available at low cost in most localities, generally it is of the specifled size, and is of suilicient strength. Sand may be defined as natural or artificial chemically inert inorganic materials having sizes falling within the graded size classification set forth in A. S. T. M. Designation C33-37T. This specifies that all of the particles of the fine aggregate shall be small enough to passthrough a mesh screen and shall ha ranging downwardly to a size which is retained on a 100 mesh sieve, with not more than 8% passing the sieve of such mesh. himestone, volcanic siliclous materials, and granit low in' inica' are exam p es u I I SQ r inasmuch as these materials will fulfill the above graded size specifications.

I hav discovered that a material, heretofore a never made use of as a fine aggregate for concrete, or suggested as useful for that purpose, has properties which render it especially valuable as a fine aggregate.

It may be used with all kinds of coarse aggregates and has been found to be especially sflPlfii 'a laf lilk-F This materialfic ali ed' fi a the ash prod coais,

duced when pulverize 7 usually bituminous in nature, are burned in suspension. It is usually collected from the exhaust gases by electrical precipitation.

Fly ash has varying chemical characteristics depending upon the coals from which it is obtained. An approximate analysis is as follows:

- Per cent Lime (CaO) 2 Silica ($102) 43 Alumina (A1203) 25 Iron oxide (F6203) 15 Magnesia (MgO) 1 Sulphur trioxide (S03) '1 Carbon (0) 1 to 12 R20 1 It will be noted that the calcium oxide content is only approximately A of that present in a good Portland cement and that the silica and. alumina contents are considerably higher.

The fly ash which I have employed with great success co ses ver finely divided arti I 9.3% of w h screen, and through a screen. It is thus much finer by far than are the sands and other fine aggregates which have been specified for standard structural concretes. 7 Fly ash has an apparent specific gravity of 2.26

EXAM

c'as' e's"wfiere it is used, it sh'o'iii e considered a 5 The resulting concrete is, while wet, more easily worlged than a sand concrete and, when dry.

lighter, stronger, orm and more elastic than a concrete of the same approximate com position containing sand as the sole fine aggregate.

The proportion of fly ash used in any batch of concrete may be conveniently expressed as the ratio of the amount of fly ash used to the amount of cement used. In accordance with my invention, the ratio of fly ash to cement may vary between 1 and 5.4 or more, the amounts of cement and fly ash being measured in cubic feet. Preferably this ratio varies betweefiifz'aiidm times the amount of cement. I have discovered that the amount of water which is used in a ement-fiy ash-coarse aggregate concrete is greater than the afio'fifi't used in fixing an equal amount of cement-sand-cgarse aggregate concrete oi the same strength, and thaFthe fly ash has the ability to take up more water than does the sand.

In every case, however, the mixture may be given the consistency desired by adding the proper quantity of water.

In concretes having fly ash as fine aggregate added workability results from the use of increased amounts of water, without, however, lowering the compressive strength. This is highly advantageous in pouring concretes into molds and forms inasmuch as it is necessary that the material shall flll every crevice before the initial set of the cement occurs.

Furthermore, concretes having fly ash as a fine aggregate are lighter in weight than concretes with sand as the fine aggregate. For example, a standard pebble concrete weighs about 150 pounds per cubic foot, whereas the series of fly ash-pebble concretes weighed 140 pounds per cubic foot, and the series of fly ash-cinder concretes produced weights as ow as on y 95.5 pounds per cubic foot.

In general, fly ash concretes have a finer texture and are, therefore, more pleasing to the eye. They may be mixed quite readily and are usually lower in cost than sand concretes inasmuch as fly ash is essentially a waste product.

For example, in one case it was found that fly ash concrete could be mixed for about ten per cent less than a standard sand-pebble concrete of the same strength.

In charging the mixer when fly ash is used, the order of char in is important in order to minimi'ie lumping of the ash and to reduce the time necessary for mixing. The preferred order is: water, fl ash, cement, other fine aggregate w e used$,and coarsea re ate. ing the several ingredients into a suitable mixer the mixer is revolved in the usual manner. Preferably, however, it is revolved through a greater number gg revglu izipns than thought necessary Tithe mixing of ordinary concretes, for instance from fifty to a hundred or more revolutions. In mixing fiy ash concretes in which cinders are the coarse aggregate, I have found mash is extremely beneficial because its specific gravity more nearly approaches that of the cinders. This erc ar 65 results in an intimate mixture of fly ash and cinders. with the fly ash particles serving to fill or plug any of the apertures in the surface of the larger cinder particles. Heretofore these apertures have been plugged by the cement alone. inasmuch as it is the only ingredient of the concrete which is fine enough to serve this purpose. With fly ash in the concrete, its particles. which are as fine as those of the cement, tend to take over this plug in function leaving additional cement available for extra strength.

As'examples of my improved concrete the following are illustrative:

PEBBLES is COARSE AGGREGATE I Proportions, by v ume, of concrete ingredients Cement Fly ash Band Pebbles 28-day com- Water- On. it. Cu. it. cement cement fly ash g 'fi ratio per y per yd. De! L in l 37 4. 67 8. 17 3590 1 33 4. 61 8 07 2930 L 40 L 56 8. 00 2820 Proportions, by volume. of concrete ingredients Cement Flyash Band Pebbles Water- Cu. a. On. a. may cement cement fly ash x3 rat per yd per yd. W 5m Proportions, by volume, of concrete ingredients Cement Fly ash Bend Pebbles 28-day oom- Water- On. it. On. it. cement cement fly ash :figfi ratio per yd. per yd. per sq. in.

Proportions, by volume, of concrete ingredients Cement Fly ash Bend Pebbles 106. cowosmons, 7 EM comma on PLASTlD 2,200,107 3 Proportions, by volume, of concrete ingredients Proportions, by volume, of concrete ingredients Cement Fly ash Sand P bbl Cement Flyash Sand Pebbles Wateb Omit. Cn.it. may rein cement cement flyash 5 mg t? fly areng t lr ratio peryd. peryd. permbim o my pay p rsqein.

1.01 5,31 5,8 m 1.41 to a0 0000 er it n m l5 Proportions, by volume, of concrete ingredients Proportions, by volume, of concrete ingredients Cement Fly ash Sand Pebbles Cement I'lyash Sand Pebbles 1 28-da Water- Omit. 011.11. comm cement cement fly ash pressivc sugngth Water- 00.. Unit. g mm pend 1 1 W ncemsgt cemert fly as: spmngth ra pery pery 1.0: 4.0 0.0 3280 3120.. 1.ss 4.11s 0 72 3470 w 1.: :2: 24 g with these high ash contents, the greatest ad- 7 7 30 vantage in strength appears as the concrete ages.

It will be observed that, in the above example for instance, there was a 43% increasein strength f 1 g a] I by volume of concrete ingredients between the high ash concrete after ninety days as i cement mush sand Pebbles cdmparedwithitsstrength aftertwenty-eight'days. i Proportions, by volume, of concrete ingredients I 1 as .s 3.0 Cement Flyash Band Pebbles 1 as 0 s l Water- 011. it. On. it. 5 ,33?- 40 i cement cement fly ash strength 2 ratio per yd. pet yd. per am m l q Water- 00.. 011.. @2153? 5 L53 43) mm 2953 cement cement fly ash firenzth l 1.6 4.75 11.88 2883 ratio per-yd. per yd. perm in. l 1.73 4.04 11.60 2110 45 Proportions, by volume, of concrete ingredients Proportions, in! volume, of concrete ingredients Cement Fly ash Sand Pebbles V Cement Fly ash Sand Pebbles l 3 0 3 28-day com- Water- On. it. On. it. cement cement fly ash $2 55 wank cm m cm {L 28-day forn- W per sq i cement cement fly ash Eg ratio per yd. per yd. per m 1. 87 4. 93 14. 76 2400 Cmnnas.as Conner: Aennma'rn Proportions, by volume, of concrete ingredients I Proportions, by volume, of concrete ingredients Cement Fly ash Sand Pebbles 1 z a 8 L m Cement Fly ash Sand Cinders 28-day com- 1 te Cu. it. On. it. y g 55%]? Water; 011. in u. 1 32;

rat 0 l y D Y cemen came]: as

pa ratio per yd. pe r yd. igggfig m0 1.05 4.03 10.1 2380 Cement Fly 11511 Send Ci de s Cement Fly ash Send Cinders 28-day mm w W c n c n 28-day com- .1 a 1' u. u. $122; eifiee fiee 'eeie 5mg; cement cement fly ash gggggg ratio per yd. per yd. per b m ratio per per P r sq. in.

' Y 1.13 as 10. e 39:10 0 15 1. 2 8.3 10.4 3887 1. 2': e 14 10.2 3511 ash as a fine aggregate, applies to extremely ricl'i' mixtures as well as to leaner mixtures.

Proportions, by volume, of concrete ingredients 1 'By way of contrast with these proportions, note the following example: Proportions, by volume, of concrete ingredients Proportions, by volume, of concrete ingredients Proportions, by volume, of concrete ingredients Cement Fly ash Band Cinders Cement Flyash Send Cinders 1 2.6 .29 5.48

I 28-day com- Water- Cu. it. Cu. it.

ive cement cement fly ash ggg cu u out 28-day comt. per persq. in. cement cement fly ash gag fig;

ratio per yd. per yd. per mm 1.80 we 10.1 2370 so 12. 2-2. er 9 Proportions, by volume, of concrete ingredzents cement my ash and Cinders P oportions, by volume, of concrete ingredzents 1 2 o is Cement Flyash Band Cinders 28-day oom- Water- Omit. Cu.ft. cement cement fly e911 g ggg ratio per per per sq in, water- Cu. ft. Cu. ft. 28-day s cenfint cemexat fly as}; gagg to o pet-y pery L58 5 10 2990 per q- 1.47 6.08 9.91 3110 Proportions, by volume, of concrete ingredients 1.6 5.9 9.02 2686 Cement Fly ash Band Cinders Proportions, by volume, of concrete ingredients 7' 1 2 2 Cement Fly ash Sand Cinders may com- Weter- Cu. it. Cu. it. i cement cement fly ash press v0 ratio p r yd. D r 1rd. i 3% Weter- Cu. it. Cu.tt. f

cement cement fly ash P55 :3 re 0 per yd. per yd. g fgg 1.55 5 10 3120 2-? 11-1 2st Proportions, by volume, of concrete ingredients L80 5163 11:26 2778 1 11 s d Cind re 0mm an a Proportions, by volume, of concrete ingredients Cement Fly ash Sand Cinders m 1 2 1.33 4 Water- Cu. it Cu.it. By cement cement fly ash $2 53;

ratio per yd. per yd. per ML m I Water; Cu. fti gu. fllzl. fig 1. or a. a 95 4580 Y is strength- 1.1 8.84 8.84 4223 mm I per sq. in. 1.13 are 1173 4149 1g? :7 2070 7 These high cement content examples demon- 7 stra'te that the principle governing'the use or fly 76 106. COMPOSlTlONS,

COATING R PLASTlC Mns'roNn s Comer: Aeonnos'ra Proportions, by v0 ume, of concrete ingredients Proportions, by volume, of concrete ingredients Cement Fly an Sand Egg- May com- Water- On. it. On. it. cement cement fly ash 53 :3;

ratio per yd. per yd. per sq. m.

Proportions, by volume, of concrete ingredients Proportions, by volume, of concrete ingredients Lime- Cement Fly ash Send mm 28-day com- Water- Cu. it. Cu. it. cement cement fly ash 52 :3;

ratio per yd. per yd. pet n in.

. Cement Fly ash Sand ,13;-

My 00111- Water- Cu. it. Cu. 1t. cement cement fly ash gm ratio per yd. per yd. sq. m

as Coaasn AGGREGATE Proportions, by volume, of concrete ingredients EXAM Proportions, by volume, of concrete ingredients Cement Fly ash Band Slag 28-day com- Water On. it. On. it. cement cement fly ash i gg ratio per yd. per yd. per sq.

Proportions, by volume, of concrete ingredients Cement Fly ash Sand Slag Water- Cu. it. Cu. it, 28-day co cement cement fly ash ggifgfi "no pet per p r sq. in.

From the above examples it will be noted that the water-cement ratio was always greater than y, rang g up to over two, and yet the compresslve strength of the resultant concrete was never less than 2000 pounds per square inch. It will be noted that the fly ash is present in amounts ranging from an a equal to the amount of the cement by volume, upwardly to an amount over five times the amount 01 the cement, with many strong concretes using fly ash in amounts varying from 1 to 2 times the amount of the cement. Ifwill also be noted that high strength results are obtained with cement contents varying from approximately 4 to approximately 9 cubic feet of cement per yard of concrete.

The cinder used in roduc o U E .u" generatin ers. ey were riiif't fugh a crus g ma much reduced themaximum size of the particles to about 1% inches. Only 5% of thesecinders passed a 200 mesh screen. It is thus evident that the cinders used were'in no respect similar physically to the fly ash.

Although the mix proportions given above are quoted by volumes, the mixes were proportioned by surface dry rodded weights (see A. S. 'I'. M. Designation 0-29) I am aware that others have previously suggested that fly ash might advantageously be used as an ingredient of concrete. It has been prothe above test were the posed as an admixture to the concrete, an admixcement. One suggestion was to the efiect that fly ash be used in mortars containing cement and sand. These earlier proposals, however, are all to the effect that the fly ash be added in relatively small amounts. not for the purpose of ,5 replacing the fine aggregate, but as an addition to mortar or concrete containing flne aggregate, and usually for the purpose of the workability of the mixture asv by lubricatmg the mass.

It may be said that those who have heretofore had the most experience in the use of fly ash in concretes have insisted that the amount of this material used be kept quite small.

My concrete containing fla ash in quantities much greater than the quan l y 0 a cement is, thereforefaradical"departure from any concretes heretofore suggested or actually used in practice. It is not only different in composition but is stronger, as compared with other concretes using equal cement contents, it is lighter in weight, it is more workable, it has greater elasticity. It is also more uniform in texture and appearance and requires less refinement in the grading of the coarse aggregate because of the increase in tbe 5 ratio of the mortar or matrix material to the coarse aggregate. It-also has a lowered temperature rise after having been poured in place.

This application is a continuation in part of my copending application, Serial 92,147, flled July,30 23, 1936.

Although I have described specific examples of my invention, it is to be understood that the scope thereof is limited only by the claims hereof.

' Having thus described the invention, what, is \claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. Concrete formed from an easily workable homogeneous plastic mass comprising cement and aggregate, said mass being characterized by 40 the presence of fine aggregate which consists of fly ash and sand and by a quantity of water substantially greater than that used in similar concretes in which sand is the sole fine aggregate, the amount of fine aggregate, by volume, exceeding twice the amount of cement and the amount offlv sl in the fine aggregate being, by volume, from approximately 1 to approximately 2 times the amount ofcement, and exceeding the amount of sand, the concrete being strong in co re ion, lighter in weight than si ar concrete in which the fine aggregate is wholly sand, and 'of fine texture. I

2. Concrete formed from an easily workable homogeneous plastic mass comprising cement and aggregate, said mass being characterized by the presence of fine aggregate which consists of fly ash and sand, the amount of fine aggregate, by volume, exceeding twice the amount of cement and the principal portion of the fine aggregate being fly ash, the concrete being at least as strong in compression but lighter in weight than similar concrete in which the fine aggregate is wholly sand, and fine in texture.

-3. Concrete formed from an easily workable g5 homogeneous plastic mass comprising cement and aggregate, the said mass being characterized by the presence of a fine aggregate which includes fly ash in an amount, by volume, which equals or exceeds the amount of cement, the total volume of fine aggregate being at least twice as great as the volume of cement, the concrete being high in compressive strength, relatively light in weight and fine in texture.

4. Concrete formed from an easily workable homogeneous plastic mass comprising cement and aggregate, the said mass being characterized by the presence of a fine aggregate which includes fly ash in an amount, by volume, which equals or exceeds the amount of cement, and by a quantity of water substantially greater than that used in similar concretes in which sand is the sole fine aggregate, the concrete being at least as high in compressive strength as, and being lighter in weight than, similar concrete in which sand is the fine aggregate.

5. A concrete mixture comprising cement, a coarse aggregate and fly ash, the volume of fly ash present being from 2 to 2 times the volume of cement.

6. A concrete mixture consisting of cement, a coarse aggregate and fly ash, the volume of fly ash present being from 1% to 2 /2 times the volume of cement.

7. A lightweight high-strength concrete comprising essentially cement, fly ash, and cinders in a ratio by volume of one part cement, two to two and one-half parts fly ash, and five to six parts cinders, having a compressive strength of over two thousand pounds per square inch and weighing under one hundred and five pounds per cubic foot.

8. A lightweight high str'ength concrete comprising essentially cement, fly ash, and cinders in a ratio by volume of one part cement, two to two and one-half parts fly ash, and five to six parts cinders, having a compressive strength of over two thousand pounds per square inch and weighing under one hundred pounds per cubic fOOt. v i

9. A lightweight high-strength concrete mixture comprising cement, a coarse aggregate oi. cinders, and a fine aggregate of fly ash, the fly ash being present in a volume greater than the volume of cement present and having substantially the same specific gravity as the cinders whereby the fly ash particles mix thoroughly with the cinders without segregation, the fly ash particles being so small as to partially fill and plug cracks and voids in the cinders and thereby strengthen the cinder particles, the concrete when dry having a compressive strength of over 2000 pounds per square inch. I

10. A concrete mixture comprising ce'ment, a coarse aggregate and fly ash, the volume of fly ash present being greater than the amount of the cement. f

11. The process of mixing a concrete mixture comprising cement, a coarse aggregate, and fly ash, the fly ash being present in amounts greater than the quantity of the cement, which includes the step of mixing the ingredients with water, the number of cubic feet of water used being greater than the number of cubic feet of cement, whereby to obtain a concrete having a compressive strength greater than 2000 pounds per square inch. V

I JOHN S. NELLES. 

